Community Investment

A National Approach to Driving Local Impact

RSM’s commitment to inclusion flows well beyond the boundaries of our firm and our work. We have partnered with dedicated organizations, both local and national, to give back to and create positive change in the communities where we live and work. This has become core to the picture of our firm with RSM US Foundation partnerships, like the Howard University Scholarship Program, the CDI Impact Fund and other support for education, housing, hunger and health that allow us to invest in the middle market leaders of tomorrow.

RSM Fellows

RSM has committed six professionals to serve as CEO Action for Racial Equity Fellows. These professionals will work alongside fellows from other firms to identify, develop and promote scalable and sustainable public policies and corporate engagement strategies that will advance racial equity and improve societal wellbeing. Fellows will focus their efforts on relevant societal issues in the areas of education, health care, economic empowerment, public safety and more.

RSM’s fellows include:

  • Tanya Coker-Fergusson (manager, audit; Boston)

  • Jalaal Madyun (senior instructional designer; Minneapolis)

  • Daniel O'Brien (director, learning and professional development; Baltimore)

  • Monique Williams-Reese (senior analyst, innovation; Atlanta)

  • Wei Xue (supervisor, consulting; Baltimore)

NATIONAL PROGRAM EXAMPLES

Junior Achievement USA

In January 2020, RSM launched its national partnership with Junior Achievement USA. This relationship not only gives RSM the opportunity to expand volunteer and financial support of Junior Achievement, but also allows our associates the chance to educate and empower young people through financial literacy. The development of the Take Stock in Your Future curriculum coupled with the Stock Market Challenge event fosters interest in finance careers by unlocking the ins and outs of buying, selling, diversification, initial public offerings and more via experiential learning. Through this partnership, RSM is fostering confident, competent future business leaders equipped with real-world learning and skills.

National Urban League Affiliate ASTEAM program

RSM is partnering with a national community service organization to introduce and inspire youth of high school and middle school ages to the accounting profession, careers and academic focus. In addition to annual after-school and summer programming, the organization offers programs for youth at community centers in disadvantaged metro communities. RSM employee network groups (ENGS) have the opportunity to help secondary students increase their interest and build skills for a future in accounting by setting, defining and implementing key measures of the program’s tutorial and workshop curriculum and progress.

North American Food Banks

RSM recognizes that food insecurity is a significant challenge for many people and it can have material impact on the social, emotional and intellectual development of children.  RSM aims to help youth better achieve important educational outcomes so they can become the middle market leaders of tomorrow. That is why, since 2015, RSM has worked with North American food banks to feed tens of thousands of students. 

As a commitment to its people, RSM established a meal stipend program for the employees during the early months of the pandemic. The unused funds from the program—$1.8 million USD—were donated to community food banks in the United States and Canada.

COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHT EXAMPLES

Girl Scouts

What is your dream life? RSM volunteers asked that of Girl Scouts in the Greater Chicago area and four other communities across the country during a series of special events that offered girls a sneak peek into career opportunities at RSM.

"We've partnered with Girl Scouts in Chicago and a number of other cities during their ‘My Dream Life’ program, so we've seen firsthand how impactful this can be—not only for the girls participating in the program, but for those of us who volunteer and have the opportunity to interact directly with the girls," said Karen Galivan, partner and consumer products senior analyst, who had a lead role in coordinating the event.

#LunchBags in Washington D.C.

At RSM, our people work daily to embrace their local communities. When opportunities to work with organizations like #HashtagLunchBag arise, individuals like Charles Barley Jr., consulting principal and former AACE national leader, are there with their families, making sandwiches and packing lunch bags to give to the homeless.

Hashtag lunchbag.
RSM Partner, RSM US LLP Board Member and RSM US Foundation Board Member Sudhir Kondisetty and his family support RSM's #HashTagLunchBag program.

Pride + Ali Forney Center

The Pride ENG embraced the RSM value of stewardship in 2020 and donated more than  $16,000 to the Ali Forney Center, a New York-based organization whose mission is to protect LGBT+ youth from the harms of homelessness and empower them with the tools needed to live independently. Studies have shown that LGBT+ youth comprise up to 40% of the homeless population in New York City and they are eight times more likely to experience homelessness. The Ali Forney Center provides temporary housing for those in need along with mentoring, educational and career programs to help youth reclaim their lives. The Pride ENG saw this as an opportunity to honor the community leaders who came before them and led the Pride movement.

Deja Brooks.
Artist, advocate, educator and entertainer, Deja Brooks reads to RSM children during a virtual Pride month event.